By Trevor Piccone, Contributing Writer
It is bittersweet to say goodbye to another school year here at West Liberty as the spring semester slowly comes to an end. As we send off a new class to go do great things in the world, another steps up to the plate, and a whole new set of freshmen comes to impact our community.
With these changes in students also comes changes to the campus. The most prominent changes to come are concerning Sodexo, and there have been several rumors going around concerning said changes. This has caused quite a stir in the community, but Retail Manager Rebecca Bowman was more than glad to clear the air.
She confirmed that next year Taco Bell and Pizza Hut will no longer be in the union and will be instead replaced by a Sodexo restaurant called “A Slice of Life.” It is Italian-based and is going to sell pizza by the slice as well as full size pizzas, spaghetti, salads, and a variety of other items.
Although there is some uncertainty in this process, Bowman noted, “We’re still at the beginning stages, but we definitely know we are putting that restaurant in.”
She also was very excited that another big change coming to West Liberty is the addition of a convenience store, or the “C Store.” It is a new venue that will be open in place of the faculty lounge off the ballroom, and it will be open seven days a week for student convenience. Bowman optimistically noted that “of course there will be some limited hours, but I do know it will be operating on Saturdays.”
With this new addition, there will have to be some changes made to Jazzman’s as well. Jazzman’s and Simply to Go products are both located in the union, and they are sold in conjunction. However, they are completely different entities. With the addition of the C Store, Jazzman’s is going to be able to offer more high-end sandwiches and food items than they previously offered, as the C Store will take the bulk of Simply to Go items.
The C Store will be able to sell frozen and microwaveable items as well as hygiene and other basic supplies every college student needs. Another possibility is the introduction of milkshakes as well as coffee so that students are able to grab a drink on the weekends.
Bowman noted that these new additions are going to add a lot more flexibility with the menu items, and since Asian cuisine was such a popular request as the new restaurant was still in question, more will be available in the Marketplace. This process has been long and involved, but Bowman is very hopeful for the future and believes that the students will come to love the new additions.
With this in mind, students should be on the lookout for the current contest. Whoever comes up with the best name for the up and coming “C Store” will be able to win a prize.
Several students were asked about how they felt about all these new possibilities, and the consensus seems to be very positive. Although everyone is a bit hesitant, they seem to be hopeful about what is to come.
Photo credit: Daniel Morgan
